For all the talk about Sydney’s pursuit of Charlie Curnow and the high price they paid to get him, it’s been overlooked that they brought in a second gun forward over the summer – and this bloke only cost them the proverbial packet of chips.
Very little has been said about Malcolm Rosas jnr, who was traded to the Swans with pick 62 at last year’s draft by the Gold Coast Suns, in exchange for picks 51 and 69.
That probably stops now.
His career-best seven-goal haul has blown his cover; now everyone can see the bargain they scored, and the gem that the Suns gave up for practically nothing.
Somewhere in Carrara, seller’s remorse would be setting in right about now.
Rosas jnr booted the first goal of Sunday’s 17-point win over Melbourne at a sun-baked SCG, kicking off a frenetic opening-quarter shootout in which the lead changed hands seven times.
Within a stunning six-minute spell just after quarter-time, he reclaimed the lead for Sydney with his third goal, then broke the game open with two more to establish what proved to be an unassailable lead, announcing himself to the home crowd of 40,673 – which, not for the first time, included actress Sydney Sweeney, who is in Australia again to film a movie.
Even Sweeney might have noticed the way Rosas jnr has provided her namesake AFL club with what they had been missing in the three years since her last visit: an extra dynamic in their forward 50, another livewire who can take the pressure off Tom Papley and keep opposition defenders on their toes with his craft and movement.
Whoever the Demons assigned to the 24-year-old wasn’t doing a particularly good job of it, as he continually found space and made them pay every time, with Sydney outscoring them five goals to two in the second term.
Rosas jnr came to the club hoping to continue Sydney’s proud tradition of First Nations stars, eager to imitate the blistering pace of Lewis Jetta in particular. He’s off to a good start, outmatching his entire tally of goals for the season in one afternoon.
His performance helped the Swans return to the top of the AFL ladder – and given Melbourne’s recent form, this 19.17 (131) to 17.12 (114) result was no mean feat, and another impressive manifestation of Dean Cox’s game plan, although inaccuracy in front of goal kept them from killing off the contest much, much sooner.
The Dees were down a rotation early after Brody Mihocek injured his hamstring as he attempted to tackle Sydney defender Lewis Melican – and though they remained in close enough touch to keep the hosts sweating right to the end, stringing together four late goals to force a nervy finish, they still could not conjure a sufficient response to make up for the damage they sustained earlier.
It felt like goal number six from Rosas jnr, a clever snap from the top of the goal square after fending off an opponent, which came nine minutes into the final quarter, should have been the death of the Dees – but it was to their credit that that moment of respite for the Swans didn’t come until Joel Amartey’s fourth goal, inside the final minute of play.
More to come
